Halloween Day Carnage in Manhattan

NEW YORK, NY — Authorities are investigating a terror attack in Lower Manhattan around 3 pm EST today when a man plowed a rented truck into bicyclists and pedestrians, leaving up to eight people dead, and a dozen more injured, according to law enforcement sources at the New York Police Department.

The 29-year old suspect, in a Home Depot rental truck, hopped a curb at West Houston Street and drove south the wrong way on the West Street bike path, the official said. The suspect hit a school bus and wrecked his truck, the official said. Four people were removed from the bus and they had minor injuries.

The driver then exited the vehicle displaying imitation firearms and was shot by police, according to the NYPD. The individual is in police custody and is being taken to the hospital for treatment, sources at the NYPD said, adding that police are considering terrorism as part of the investigation.

Meantime, New York City emergency responders conducted a critical incident training exercise early Sunday morning at Grand Central Terminal and tested out some new technologies provided by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T).

The New York Police Department (NYPD), the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department (MTA-PD), New York State Police and the National Guard conducted the exercise to evaluate tactics, techniques, and procedures they would utilize while responding to a critical incident. S&T, through its National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) and Homeland Security Advanced Research Project Agency (HSARPA), inserted relevant technologies into the exercise to assess their capabilities to improve first responders’ preparedness and response to a large-scale, urban, critical incident.

“We know that having the right technology in the hands of a first responder can save critical minutes or seconds — and reduce injuries and save lives,” said DHS Under Secretary (Acting) for Science and Technology, William N. Bryan. “The needs of responders and the public are at the center of every decision we make as S&T works to leverage new technology to make our nation’s first responders better protected, connected, and fully aware, regardless of the hazards they face.”